Machine for operating upon heellifts and rands



April 6, 1937. J. B. HADAWAY 1- AL 2,075,933

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HEEL LIFTS AND BANDS Filed Dec. 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 1937- J. B. HADAWAY ET AL 2,075,938

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HEEL LIFTS AND RANDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1935 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES DIACHINE FOR OPERATING LIFTS AND RAND John B. Hadaway,

UPON HEEL- S Swampscott, and Charles F.

Fitzgerald, Beverly, Mass., assignors to United Shoe Machinery Cor poration, Paterson, N. J.,

a corporation of New Jersey Application December 10, 1935, Serial No. 53,834

26 Claims.

This invention relates to machines by which heel-lifts and rands are operated upon; for example, apparatus by which such shoe-parts are secured to each other, as by forcing together surfaces thereof to which adhesive coatings have been applied.

A convenient manner of attaching to heel-lifts or bases the rands which are to fill the peripheral spaces between the plane heel-surfaces and the curved heel-seats is by means of an interposed adhesive. Latex is especially suitable for this purpose, since the surfaces to be opposed may be coated, allowed to become sufficiently dry to be handled, and then the attachment accomplished by pressure upon the pieces associated with their coated surfaces in contact. Heretofore, there has been used for this purpose a machine including a pair of rotatable rolls, one of which has a conical lift-engaging surface and the other an opposed conical rand-engaging surface, and with which rolls is associated an edge-gage for positioning both the lift and rand, said rolls decreasing in diameter outwardly from the gage. Because of the increasing speeds of rotation of the peripheries of these rolls considered along their axes, and by a proper proportioning of the slantheights of the conical surfaces to the radius of curvature of the lifts, the work may be urged toward the gage. At the same time, an automatic turning force is applied to assist the operator in effecting the passage of the work between the rolls from one breast-corner to the other. While, in many conditions, this action of turning the work and holding it, against the gage is effective, there are some cases in which a considerable burden may be put upon the operator because of resistance of the work, which requires the application of manual force. An instance of this is when the rand is so heavy and stiff that it offers a substantial opposition to bending. This, of course, makes the work difiicult to turn, and the engagement of the rigid rand with the gage tends to force the lift away from said gage. Therefore, the lift and rand may not pass through the machine in the proper relation and be correctly assembled, unless the operator aids in their positioning and advance. For this, much effort may be required. It is the purpose of this invention to meet these conditions and effect the desired automatic feeding of even highly resistive work-pieces. To this end, there is combined with the rolls by which the work, including a lift, is to be advanced in a curved path, a retarding member arranged for contact with a face of the lift. This engagement, when conical rolls are employed, is between said rolls and is preferably with the lift adjacent to the edge of a rand to be assembled with the lift. There is exerted a braking action upon the work, so the effect of the decreasing diameters of the rolls toward their apices, with the consequent differential peripheral speed, is increased to exert a stronger turning action. Moreover, the retarding member is so located as to prevent lateral movement of the rand, which, therefore, cannot be displaced by slipping over the lift. As a result of this, with little or no effort on the part of the operator, both of the work-pieces will be held against the gage and turned through the desired curved path, emerging from the rolls correctly assembled. To obtain the proper retarding effect, means is preferably provided for varying this, and to facilitate the introduction of the work between the rolls, the retarding member is arranged to move toward and from said work. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the retarding member assumes the form of a disk with a reduced edge to engage the lift, this disk being mounted to rotate upon a carrier with variable degrees of resistance. movable to change the relation of the disk to the work, as by a connection to the roll-mounting, which is, itself, shifted by the operator upon the introduction of the work.

One of the various forms which the invention may assume is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows the improved machine in side elevation, with the parts in work-receiving position;

Fig. 2 is a, similar view, in which the more essential elements of the machine appear enlarged and in operating position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation; and

Fig. 4 shows a completed piece of work which has been operated upon by the machine.

- In the upper portion of a frame It], adapted, as illustrated, to be supported upon a bench, is journaled a horizontal shaft l2 rotated from a main driving shaft is by spur-gearing It. At its forward extremity, the shaft l2 acts through bevel-gearing [8 to rotate in the frame a downwardly and outwardly inclined shaft 20 having secured to its lower end a roll 22. This roll is conical in form, decreasing gradually in diameter outwardly, but preferably with its reduced portion omitted, being, therefore, frusto-conical. The roll 22 is one of a pair of work-feeding and pressure-rolls, the companion roll 24 of the pair being also frusto-conical, with its smaller end outward and being fast on the upper extremity of an up- The carrier is shown asv wardly and outwardly inclined shaft 26 journaled in a bracket 28. The apex of the conical surface of the roll 24 preferably lies in proximity to that of the roll 22, and it is rotated through bevel-gearing 30 from a shaft 32 turning in an arm 34 pivoted at 36 upon the frame and upon which the bracket 28 is mounted. A chain of spur-gears 38 connects the shaft 32 to the shaft I2. The driving connections and diameters of the conical surfaces are such that opposite points upon the latter travel at approximately the same speed, in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. The roll 22, being fixed against bodily movement, acts as an abutment=roll, while the lower work-supporting roll 24 may be yieldable by virtue of movement of its arm 34. This yield is, in the present instance, against the resistance of a spring 40 interposed between a depending portion 42 of the arm 34 and a screw 44 threaded horizontally into the frame. The spring surrounds and is retained against lateral displacement by a rod 46 pivoted to the arm-portion 42 and guided in a bore in the screw. The normal space between the work-engaging surfaces of the rolls 22 and 24 may be altered by an adjustable stop-screw 50 mounted for vertical movement in the frame and against which the spring 40 urges the arm 34. As illustrated, the screw 58 is threaded into a bushing 52 in the frame and may be turned by a hand-wheel 54 splined upon the upper end of the shaft and with its notched under side normally held by a spring 56 against a retaining projection 58 upon the frame.

At the inner side of the rolls 22 and 24 is a work-gage 69 carried by a bracket 62 joined to the frame I!) by a slot-and-screw connection 64, permitting the gage to be positioned different distances from the rolls and thus determine their engagement with the work. For the operation of the apparatus upon heel-lifts H and rands R, the gage is provided with a lift-contact-surface 66 and a rand-contact-surface 68; and, since it is convenient for the operator to present these heelportions to the rolls with the lift down, the firstmentioned gage-surface is below the companion surface. Both surfaces are appropriately inclined to receive the engagement of the outer edges of the associated lift and ran-d as they are presented to the rolls, and preferably lie in different planes, the surface 68 being outside the surface 66 or farther removed from the rolls. It is advantageous to have the gage-surface 68 curved about a center lying at the pivotal axis of the arm 34. This causes the distance between this surface and the roll 22 to remain the same, whatever the angle of the arm. The gage-arrangement allows the rand, after assembly, to project beyond the lift. This is important, because the surfaces of a rand are so related that when it is applied to a lift, the lower edge of the rand will project beyond said lift; see Fig. 2. The arrangement of the gage-surfaces will cause the upper edge of the rand to lie far enough out to insure it coming in the finished surface of the heel, without leaving an unsightly depression. The projecting lower edge is removed in the trimming of the heel. There is shown, mounted upon the bracket 62 with the gage 60, a guard consisting of opposite sections Ill and 12 secured, respectively, to the front and rear sides of the bracket by slot-and-screw connections 14. Each section has a curved arm 16 embracing a portion of the roll 24 and its bevel-gear 30, and a depending arm 18 partially surrounding the associated bevel-gear. The guard prevents contact of the operators hands with the lower roll and its gearing. Its variable at tachment to the bracket 62 enables the guard to be positioned correctly with respect to the elements which it surrounds, regardless of the adjustment of the bracket at 64.

For assembling a heel-lift and a rand by the pressure of the rolls 22 and 24 upon them, with the lift below the rand, the roll 24 is so mounted that the upper portion of its conical work-engaging surface, along a line directly opposed by an element of the upper roll, is approximately horizontal. This gives a surface located similarly to the customary work-supporting table, and one over which the operator may readily introduce the plane lower face of a lift. This is preferably supplemented by an arm 11, secured to the guard and having at its upper extremity a work-supporting surface 19 lying substantially in the plane of the work-engaging element of the roll 24. The opposed portion of the conical surface of the upper roll is best so held by its mounting that it diverges from its companion toward the gage or from the end of smaller to that of greater diameter, approximately corresponding in inclination to the angle between the upper surface of the beveled rand and the lower surface of the associated lift. This coincidence of inclination is preferably not exact. It is important that the adhesion of the rand and lift shall be most perfect at the outside of the heel, where the Joint will be visible in the finished work. Consequently, the angle between the opposite elements of the conical surfaces, or at the bite of the rolls, may be somewhat less than between the outer surfaces of the rand and lift. This results in greater pressure upon the work toward the periphery and the desired firm adhesion. It also, by the maximum separation between the inner portions of the conical surfaces, gives a space sufficient to receive the thin edge of the rand as it crimps in bending. On the other hand, these inner surfaces are close enough together to retain the crimped edge from projecting beyond the plane of the thick edge of; the rand.

The conical form of the rolls is caused to relieve the operator of much of the effort in holding the work against the gage 60. Since the work-engaging surfaces of the rolls rotate at progressively greater speeds from the inner portions toward the outer, because of the gradual increase in diameter, the work will move in a curved path, the center of which is toward the center of the lift and randl. By employing, as is shown herein, rolls the slant heights of the conical surfaces of which have a. less length between the apices and bases than the radii of curvature of the lifts and rands, the work is urged against the gage and there held as it advances, and, as opposite points at the bite of the rolls are moving at substantially the same speed, there is little tendency to displace the workpieces by slipping one over the other. Rands ordinarily come to the apparatus either practically straight from end to end or partly formed to the horseshoe-shape which they must assume when assembled with heel-lifts. In their unconnected condition, as a rand is pressed against a lift by the rolls 22 and- 24, the resilience of the rand as it contacts with the gage-surface 68 exerts a force tending to separate the associated lift from the gage-surface 6'6. To assist the conical rolls to overcome this, the lift-engaging surface of the roll 24 has formed in it a circumferential series of projections 89 between grooves 82. These projections may be of the same form and extend in a regular series about the roll between gagement with a groove I08.

its ends. Because of the progressive difference in the circumferences of the roll-surface, both the projections and grooves are tapered longitudinally from the portion of smaller to that of greater diameter. Each projection, instead of coinciding in direction with an element of the conical surface, is inclined toward the base of the roll rearwardly with respect to its rotation. As a result of this inclination, the force applied to a lift at any point along a projection may be considered as including a component acting circumferentially to feed and rotate the engaged lift and a force exerted radially with relation to the work, the effect of which is to press the edge of the lift against the gage-surface 66. We have shown the rand-engaging surface of the roll 22 as provided with a circumferential series of projections 86 substantially coinciding with the elements of the conical surface. These act upon the rand to effectively feed it forward.

As has already been pointed out, the character of the Work-pieces may make especially difficult their feeding through the machine with both outer edges of the lift H and rand R in constant contact with the respective gage-surfaces 66 and 68. To overcome such difliculties, there is secured to the outer extremity of the head of the machineframe 0 a guide-bar 90 having at its opposite sides projections 92, which enter ways in a vertically-movable carrier-slide 94. At the bottom of the slide is an inward extension 90 lying between the spaced end-portions of the frusto-conical rolls 22 and 24. Rotatable in the portion 90 of the slide is a spindle 90 occupying an approximately horizontal position, and fast upon the inner end of the spindle is a disk I00. The disk lies above the work-supporting surface I9 of the arm I? at a point over the axis of the roll 24 and is received at its upper edge in a recess in the roll 22. It has an inclined outer side-wall, which produces with the inner wall a reduced edge. The inclined surface may be grooved to form projections I02 at the edge for more efficient engagement with the work. With the work-pieces in place between the rolls and against the gage, the described position of the disk will allow its lower edge to contact with the upper face of the lift just.

inside the reduced edge of the rand. At the outer portion of the carrier-extension 96, the spindle 98 is surrounded by a friction-washer I04, resting against a finished surface upon the extension. Outside the washer 104 is a metal washer I06 about the spindle, the last-mentioned washer be ing compelled to rotate with the spindle by en- A helical spring H encircles the spindle, abutting at its inner extremity against the washer I and at its outer end against a collar II2 threaded upon the spindle. By turning the collar, the degree of compression of the spring may be varied to correspondingly change the resistance offered by the disk to rotation. It may thus be caused to exert a greater or less retarding effect upon the advance of the work-piece which it engages.

The vertical position of the disk I00 with relation to the work-supporting surface I9 and the face of a lift H thereon is determined by the location of the lower roll 24 and the arm 34 upon which it is mounted. This is effected by the following connections. To the top of the carrierslide 94 for the disk is pivoted a link I I4, this, in turn, being articulated to the depending arm IIB of a bell-crank lever H8 fulcrumed upon the guide-bar 30. A horizontally-extending arm I of the bell-crank is joined by a link I22 to a lever I24'fulcrumed upon the frame above'the roll 22. Trunnioned upon the inner end of the lever I24 is a sleeve I23, through which is vertically movable a rod I28 pivoted at its lower extremity to a horizontal extension I30 from the bracket 62, which is secured to the arm 34. To yieldingly communicate the movement of the arm through the connecting system to the disk I00, the lower end of the sleeve contacts with a collar I32 threaded upon the rod, while between its upper end and a collar I34, also threaded upon the rod, is a helical spring I36. Normally, the elements are related as appears in Fig. l of the drawings, the spring 40 holding thearm 34 against the stop 50. The toggle furnished by the link H4 and the lever-arm H6 is broken outwardly to elevate the carrier-slide 94 and separate the disk I00 to the maximum extent from the surface I9 and the upper portion of the roll 24. Therefore, as the operator forces in a heel-lift with an applied rand between the rolls 22 and 24, the disk will be so raised in a direction substantially at right-angles to the work-supporting surfaces of the disk 24 and of the arm TI, that it will not interfere with the introduction. As the arm 34 yields under the influence of the entering work, it draws down the rod I23 and rocks the lever I24, so the link I22 turns the bell-crank-lever IIB counterclockwise (Fig. 2). This straightens the toggle H6, H4, as appears in Fig. 2, and forces down the slide 94 so the sharp edge of the disk I00 engages the face of the lift to apply to it a retarding force, and because it lies in its path, to prevent movement of the rand away from the gage '60. The oscillation of the arm may exceed the movement which it.

is desired to impart to the disk, but in such case, the spring I35 yields, so the force exerted upon the work by the disk will be limited by the resistance of the spring to compression, this being adjustable by the collar I34. When the lift and rand have passed through the machine, the spring will restore the arm 34 to its initial position, and the connections to the arm will break the toggle to correspondingly raise the disk I00.

In using the apparatus 'of this invention, the operator takes a lift H and a rand R, each having .a coating of some such adhesive as latex upon their faces which are to be secured together, places them in the proper relation at the breastcorner a of the lift (Fig. 4) and introduces them over the surface I9 of the arm TI and the horizontal surface of the lift-engaging roll 24, the outer edges of the liftand rand contacting, respectively, with the gage-surfaces 66 and B8. In doing this, the arm 34 is pressed down against its spring 40 and the disk I00 lowered into retarding engagement with the lift. The operator then permits the spring to force the roll 24 against the lift, and therefore the rand against the engaging surface of the roll 22. The pressure at once unites the coated pieces, this continuing as rotation of the rolls feeds the work forward Ina curved path and holds it against the gage. This is under the combined influence of the conical workengaging surfaces, the force exerted by the in clined projections 80, and the braking action of the disk I00, the resistance applied to the lift by said disk accentuating the effect produced by the differential speed of the tapered rolls. A tight joint at the outside of the work-pieces is assured by the greater pressure at the portions of the rolls of maximum diameter. Travel of the work continues until the breast-corner b is reached, when it is ejected from the rolls, the uniting of thelift and rand being completed.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts, a pair of rolls rotatable to advance a lift in a curved path, an edge-gage towards which the lift is urged by the rolls, and a retarding member arranged to contact with a face of the lift.

2. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts,

-l a pair of rolls rotatable to advance a lift in a curved path, an edge-gage towards which the lift is urged by the rolls, a retarding member arranged to contact with a face of the lift, and means arranged to vary the retarding effect of the memher upon the lift.

3. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts,

a pair of rolls rotatable to advance a lift in a curved path, an edge-gage towards which the lift is urged by the rolls, a retarding member arranged to contact with a face of the lift, and means arranged to move the member toward and from the lift.

4. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts,

a pair of rolls relatively movable toward and from each other and rotatable to advance a lift in a curved path, an edge-gage toward which the lift is urged by the rolls, a retarding member arranged to contact with a face of the lift, and means arranged to move the member toward and from the lift under the influence of the roll movement.

5. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to advance the work in a curved path, and means engaging the work and acting to increase the curvature of the path.

6. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to advance the work in a curved path, an edge-gage toward which the work is urged by the rolls, and means engaging the work to increase its tendency to contact with the edge-gage.

'7. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to advance the work in a curved path, and a retarding member for engagement with the work at a point between the rolls.

' 8. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable roll having a conical liftengaging surface, a rotatable co-operating'roll having a conical rand-engaging surface, and a retarding member for engagement with the work at the inner side of the rand.

9. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable roll having a conical liftengaging surface, a rotatable co-operating roll having a conical rand-engaging surface, and a member for contact with the lift and with which the rand may contact, said member being arranged to prevent relative displacement of the lift and. rand.

10. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable roll having a conical liftengaging surface, a rotatable co-operating roll having a conical rand-engaging surface, an edgegage situated at one side of the rolls, and a retarding member arranged for contact with the lift at the side of the rand opposite the gage.

11. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to ad- 7 Vance the work in a curved path, and a rotatable disk located between the rolls and having an edge for engagement with the work.

12. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to advance the work in a curved path, and a rotatable disk located between the rolls and having an edge for engagement with the lift adjacent to the inner edge of the rand.

13. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to advance the work in a curved path, a rotatable disk having an edge for engagement with the work, and means arranged to offer a variable resistance to the rotation of the disk.

14. In a machine for operating upon heel-lifts and rands, a rotatable lift-engaging roll and a rotatable rand-engaging roll co-operating to advance the work in a curved path, a rotatable disk having an edge for engagement with the work, means for normally separating the disk from one of the rolls, and means arranged to move the disk toward said roll.

15. The combination with a pair of conical rolls between which the work is advanced, of a mounting for one of said rolls permitting its movement toward and from the other roll, a movable workretarding member co-operating with the rolls, and connections to the mounting for moving the retarding member.

16. The combination with a pair of conical rolls between which the work is advanced, of a mounting for one of said rolls permitting its movement towards and from the other roll, a movable workretarding member co-operating with the rolls, and yieldable connections to the mounting for moving the retarding member.

17. The combination with a pair of conical rolls between which the work is advanced, of a mounting for one of said rolls permitting its movement toward and from the other roll, and a retarding member movable to engage the work in a direction approximately at right-angles thereto.

18. Tue combination with a pair of conical rolls between which the work is advanced, of a spindle extending between the rolls, and a disk carried by the spindle and having a reduced edge for engagement with the work.

19. The combination with a pair of conical rolls between which the work is advanced, of a rotatable spindle extending between the rolls, a disk carried by the spindle and having a reduced edge for engagement with the work, and a friction device associated with the spindle and acting to vary the resistance of the disk to rotation.

20. In combination, a pair of rolls rotatable about inclined axes and having co-operating frusto-conical work-engaging surfaces and endportions diverging outwardly from each other, a carrier movable in a direction substantially at right-angles to the work-engaging surface of one of the rolls, and a retarding member mounted upon the carrier for engagement with the work upon said roll.

21. In combination, a pair of rolls rotatable about inclined axes and having co-operating frusto-conical work-engaging surfaces and endportions diverging outwardly from each other, a carrier movable in a direction substantially at right-angles to the work-engaging surface of one of the rolls, a spindle rotatable upon the carrier and extending between the end-portions of the rolls, and a disk having areduced edge and being secured to the spindle for engagement with the work.

22. In combination, a pair of rolls rotatable about inclined axes and having co-operating frusto-conical work-engaging surfaces and endportions diverging outwardly from each other, a carrier movable in a direction substantially at right-angles to the work-engaging surface of one of the rolls, a spindle rotatable upon the carrier and extending between the end-portions of the Erolls, a disk having a reduced edge and being secured to the spindle for engagement with the work, and a spring surrounding the spindle and resisting its rotation.

23. In combination, a pair of rolls rotatable about inclined axes and having co-operating frusto-conical work-engaging surfaces and endportions diverging outwardly from each other, a carrier movable in a direction substantially at right-angles to the work-engaging surface of one of the rolls, a spindle rotatable upon the carrier and extending between the end-portions of the rolls, a disk having a reduced edge and being secured to the spindle for engagement with the work, a spring surrounding the spindle and resisting its rotation, and means arranged to vary the force of the spring.

24. The combination with a frame, of an arm pivoted thereon, two co-operating frusto-conical rolls rotatable upon the frame and arm respectively, a carrier movable upon the frame, a workretarding member mounted on the carrier, and connections to the arm for moving the carrier.

25. The combination with a frame, of an arm pivoted thereon, two co-operating frusto-conical rolls rotatable upon the frame and arm respectively, a slide movable on the frame, a spindle rotatable in the slide, a disk carried by the spindle for engagement with the work, a toggle joining the slide to the frame, and connections to the arm and including a spring for straightening the toggle and thereby work.

moving the disk toward the JOHN B. HADAWAY. CHARLES F. FITZGERALD. 

